Abstract: An extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) sensor has a planar shunt and planar leads formed on top of the sensor and extending downward into the semiconductor active region, resulting. Electrically conductive material, such as Au or AuGe, is first deposited into lithographically defined windows on top of the sensor. After liftoff of the photoresist a rapid thermal annealing process causes the conductive material to diffuse downward into the semiconductor material and make electrical contact with the active region. The outline of the sensor is defined by reactive etching or other suitable etching techniques. Insulating backfilling material such as Al-oxide is deposited to protect the EMR sensor and the edges of the active region. Chemical mechanical polishing of the structure results in a planar sensor that does not have exposed active region edges.

Abstract: An extraordinary magnetoresistive sensor having optimal magnetic sensitivity capable of reading a very narrow and short magnetic bit. The sensor includes a layer of semiconductor layer and a layer of electrically conductive material. The first and second leads are electrically connected with an edge of the semiconductor material, one of the leads being located a distance inward from an end of the sensor. The sensor also includes first and second voltage leads, located on either side of and close to one of the current leads.

Abstract: A magnetic head including a media heating device. Following the fabrication of the heating device, a sacrificial layer of material is deposited to protect the heating device during subsequent process steps. Thereafter, write head components, such as write head induction coils and/or a P1 pole pedestal are fabricated above the heating device, and the sacrificial layer is substantially consumed in protecting the heating device during the aggressive etching and milling steps used to create those components. Further components, including a second magnetic pole are thereafter fabricated to complete the fabrication of the write head portion of the magnetic head. The sacrificial layer may be comprised of alumina, or a material such as NiFe that can act as a seed layer for a subsequent head components such as the P1 pole pedestal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for oxidizing conductive redeposition in TMR sensors is disclosed. A TMR barrier layer is etched. Redeposition material is oxidized and the barrier is healed using an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of ozone and water vapor.

Abstract: A magnetic head (slider) which requires no lapping is described. The head is fabricated with an air bearing surface that is parallel to the wafer surface. The saw cuts used to separate the individual sliders from the rest of the wafer are perpendicular to the air-bearing surface and do not pass through any critical features. The read and write components are formed from thin films disposed parallel to the air bearing surface and can be side-by-side or tandem in relation to the recording track. The stripe height of the read sensor is controlled by the deposition process rather than by lapping. Various embodiments of the read head include contiguous junction biasing, external hard magnet biasing, and in-stack biasing. In one embodiment a permeable field collector is included below the sensor layer structure. An aperture shield surrounding the sensor at the ABS is included in one embodiment.

Abstract: A magnetic head (slider) for perpendicular recording which requires no lapping is described. The head is fabricated with an air bearing surface that is parallel to the wafer surface. The coil and pole pieces are formed from thin films disposed parallel to the air bearing surface. Standard lithographic techniques can be used to define the shapes, gaps and pole piece dimensions. Non-rectilinear shapes can be formed; for example, side shields that conform around the write pole piece region. The thickness of the main and return pole pieces are controlled by the deposition process rather than by lapping. The saw cuts used to separate the individual sliders from the rest of the wafer are perpendicular to the air-bearing surface and do not pass through any critical features.

Abstract: A self pinned magnetoresistive sensor that has a relatively thick compressive material at either side to assist with self pinning. A shield having recessed portions at either side of the sensor area allows room for a thicker compressive layer than would otherwise be possible.

Abstract: Several embodiments of a sense current perpendicular to the planes of the sensor (CPP) and flux guide type of read head has a gap between first and second shield layers at an air bearing surface (ABS) where the flux guide is located which is less than a gap between the first and second shield layers at a recessed location where the sensor is located. This reduced gap increases the linear bit density capability of the read head. A longitudinal bias stack (LBS) is located in the sensor stack. Several unique methods of construction are described for forming the magnetic head assemblies.

Abstract: A semiconductor slider including an integral spin valve transistor (SVT) having a read width of 250 nm or less disposed on a monolithic semiconductor. substrate, useful in magnetic data storage applications. The monolithic slider may also include other magnetic and semiconductor transistor structures and is fabricated in a single process using standard thin-film processing steps. The SVT includes a sensor stack having a top surface and including a first ferromagnetic (FM) layer in contact with and forming a Schottky barrier at the monolithic semiconductor substrate, a FM shield layer disposed over the sensor stack and in electrical contact with the top surface thereof, a SVT emitter terminal coupled to the FM shield, a SVT collector terminal coupled to the substrate and a SVT base terminal coupled to the first FM layer. The sensor stack may include a spin valve (SV) stack or a tunnel valve (TV) stack, for example.

Abstract: A current-in-the-plane (CIP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) spin valve sensor has its free layer magnetization stabilized by longitudinal biasing through the use of free layer end-region antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. An antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, such as Ru, is formed on the free layer and a ferromagnetic bias layer is formed on the APC layer. The bias layer is a continuous layer that extends across the entire width of the free layer. The central region of the bias layer is formed of nonmagnetic oxides of one or more of the elements making up the bias layer, with the bias layer end regions remaining ferromagnetic. The oxidized central region of the bias layer defines the central active track-width region of the underlying free layer. The ferromagnetic end regions of the bias layer are antiferromagnetically coupled across the APC layer to the corresponding underlying free layer end regions to provide the longitudinal biasing.

Abstract: A magnetic head including a media heating device. Following the fabrication of the heating device, a sacrificial layer of material is deposited to protect the heating device during subsequent process steps. Thereafter, write head components, such as write head induction coils and/or a P1 pole pedestal are fabricated above the heating device, and the sacrificial layer is substantially consumed in protecting the heating device during the aggressive etching and milling steps used to create those components. Further components, including a second magnetic pole are thereafter fabricated to complete the fabrication of the write head portion of the magnetic head. The sacrificial layer may be comprised of alumina, or a material such as NiFe that can act as a seed layer for a subsequent head components such as the P1 pole pedestal.

Abstract: The present invention is a yoke spin valve MR read head which electrically connects a spin valve MR sensor to spaced apart yoke portions. First and second yoke pieces are electrically connected at a head surface and are insulated from one another at a back gap which is remotely located from the head surface. The first yoke piece has a break which divides it into first and second portions which are spaced from one another. The spin valve MR sensor is located within this break and electrically interconnects the first and second portions of the first yoke piece. First and second leads are connected to the first and second yoke pieces respectively and receive a current from a current source for applying a sense current to the spin valve MR sensor via the first and second yoke pieces. When a magnetic medium is moved adjacent the head surface of the read head the yoke pieces serve as conductors for transmitting sense current to the spin valve MR sensor as well as functioning as a flux guide.

Abstract: A space division switching network having a plurality of stages is disclosed for use as part of a time-space-time division switching system. The network employs MOS technology with standard printed circuit boards enabling very compact assembly. To enable a maximum number of stages to be placed on a standard board with appropriate electrical connections to each stage over the standard number of terminals, addresses of crosspoints are supplied in parallel over common address conductors and the appropriate stage is then switched through an enable signal.